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No. 379,622. Patented Mgn- 20. 1888 (No Model.)

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3 .SheetsSheet 3. W. N. WHITELEY & S. DYER. KNOTTING DEVICE FOR GRAIN BINDBRS.

No. 379,622. Patented Mar. 20., 1888. I

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Nirno STATES PATENT Erica.

\VILLIAM N. IVHITELEY AND SAMUEL DYER, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO SAID WILLIAM N. \VHIIELEY.

KNOTTING DEVICE FOR GRAIN-BINDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,622, dated March 20, 1888.

Application filed May 1, 1886.-

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it h nowu that we, WILLIAM N. XVHITELEY and SAMUEL DYER, citizens of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knotting Mechanism for Grain-Binders, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains to construct and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

Our invent-ion relates to that class of automatic grain-binding harvesters wherein the cut grain is delivered upon an inclined binding deck, where it is formed into a gavel and encircled by the binding cord by proper devices, after which the binding-cord is automatically tied and that surrounding the bun dle severed from the remaining cord and the bundle discharged.

Our invention consists in certain devices for tying the knot and severing the cord, and is in the nature of improvements upon the knotting mechanism described in Letters Patent No. 212,420, granted to J. F. Appleby, February 1S, 1879.

Our invention relates more especially to the following enumerated features, which are hereinafter particularly described in detail:

First. A retaining finger which, resting nearly against the body of the knottinghook and acting in connection therewith, holds the cord in its proper place during one portion of the rotation of the knotting-hook, the body of which is cut away at one side, leaving a space at that point between it and the retaining-finger, through which the cord passes at the proper time for allowing the knotting-hook to form the knot. Formerly the cord was liable to become disarranged and slip aside and out of place by the faulty construction of the various cord-guides which reach ed under the k nottinghook. In our invention we hold and guide the cord above the lznotting-hook by the retaining-finger, and also below it, as next described.

Second. A forked tucker-finger pivoted directly to the knotter, and whose function is to is a vertical section of the tyer-wheel.

Serial No. 200,807. (NDlllOlIGI-l receive the cord between the two projections forming the fork, and to tuck it closely under the knotting-hook and retain it there While the knot is being formed, swinging back slightly for the purpose of tightening the cord and holding it on the knotting-hook, and enabling the mechanism to bind the bundle more tightly at the moment the knotting-hook jaw grasps the cord, and swinging forward again to assist in stripping the knot' from the knotting-l1ook,which has rotated backward to such a position that the direction of the knotting is nearly in line with the line of motion of the sheafasitisdischarged. Formerlythetuckerfinger was pivoted partly to the knotter and partly to the breast-plate, and vibrated in an arc of a circle, and had but one forward and one backward movement to force the cord properly across the knotting hook and returned to its first position after the knot was formed. The usual form of the tucker-finger has been a single curved arm, which confined the cord upon one side only. In ourinvention we construct it of a wide plate or semi-disk, having a properly-shaped slot or notch formed therein for receiving the cord when said tucker finger is employed in connection with our breastplate, next described.

Third. To the mechanism for operating the cordholder disk, tucker-finger, and knife.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is aside elevation of our knotter. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation. Fig. 4 is a partial plan. Fig. 5is a vertical section of the frame, showing the mechanism for operating the cordholder disk, knife, and tucker-finger. Fig. 6 Fig. 7 is a plan of the adj listing-arm for the tuckerfinger. Fig. 8 is a plan of the adjusting-segment for the tucker-finger. Fig. 9 is a vertical section of the knottinghook and its appendages. Fig. 10 is a rear elevation of the knotting-hook, gear, plunger, &c. Fig. 11 is a horizontal section on the line as acof theknotting-hook gear. Fig. 12 is a horizontal section showing the retaining-finger and its relation to the knotting-hook. Fig. 13 is a rear elevation of the same parts, and Fig. 14 is a front elevation of the cordsevering knife and its appendages.

ro'ections a a of the main frame. .1 .1

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout all the views.

A is the main frame, through the upper part of which passes the tyer-wheel shaft 0, upon which are fixed the tyer-wheel O, the knottinghook cam J, and swing-frame cam K. Formed upon the frame A isthe vertically-perforated projection to and the knotting-hook shield A, in which is journaled the knotting-hook D, whose shaft or stem D passes through both projections a and A and is perforated through its length for the passage of the plunger F, which has pivoted in its upperend the frictionroller f, which engages the knotting-hook cam J, and at its lower end is pivoted to the link ffiwhose lower end is pivoted to the knottinghook jaw H. The spiral spring f lifts the plunger F and keeps the friction-rollerf constantly in contact with the knotting-hook cam J. The knotting-hook jaw is pivoted in the knotting-hook, as usual. The knotting-hook gear E is fixed to the shaft D of the knottinghook. The tucker-finger U is a flat plate of metal of the form shown in Fig. 4, and fixed to avertical shaft, V, which isjournaled in the Fixed upon the tucker-finger shaft V is the adjust ing-segment V which is shown in Fig. 8. Fitted loosely upon the shaft V is the adj usting arm W, which is shown in Fig. 7. The adj usting-segnient and adjusting-arm are each perforated with three holes for an adj ustingscrew, 20". The holes in the adjusting-arm being slightly nearer together than those in the adjusting-segment, the changing of the adjusting-screw w" from one hole to another slightly changes the relative angle of the adjustingarm W and tucker-finger U, making all the changes required for setting the tucker-finger U in its proper position.

Formed upon the back of the main frame A are the horizontallyperforated projections a. a through which the rock-shaft S passes, and has formed upon it the right-angled arm S pro' vided with the friction-roller S which engages the cam-track in the tyer-wheel O.

The swing-frame Bis pivoted upon the rockshaft S, and has a projecting arm, B provided with a frictionroller, b, which engages the swing-frame cam K on the tyer-wheel shaft 0 in the usual manner.

The cord-holder L is pivoted to the swing frame B by the stud Z, and is held in position by the usual cord-holder spring, L which is attached to the projection b of the swing-frame B by the tension-screw Z, and kept in position by the lugs Z P, formed upon the projection b. The cord-holder disk M is pivoted to the swing-frame B in the usual manner, and is of the usual form, except that it has no ratchet for rotating it, the cordnotches m serving that purpose;

Fixed upon the rock-shafts is a bell-crank lever,T,one of its arms projecting downwardly and being connected with the adjusting-arm W of the tucker-finger by the link Y, and the other arm projecting rearwardly and pivoted to the upper part of the sliding bar 0.

Pivoted in the lower end of the sliding ba 0 by the pin 0 is the pawl P, engaging the notches m of the cord-holder disk M, and kept in contact therewith by the spring 0. The sliding bar 0 is formed of two parts connected by the adjusting-screw Q, having a right and left thread on opposite ends,which screw into the upper and lower parts, and are held in any required position by the check nut g. This adjustment is for the purpose of rotating the cord-holder disk M to the exact position required for properly grasping and holding the binding-cord.

Pivoted to the front of the projection b is the cord-severing knife N, which is operated by the pin 0 which projects to the front far and lifts the knife upward, severing the cord. This mechanism is separately illustrated in Fig. 14.

The retaining-finger G is fixed to the projection a of the 'main frame A, and its point rests nearly or quite against the bddy of the knotting-hook D, as shown in Figs. 12 and 13.

The breast-plate R is of the usual form, except as to the contour of the slot for the needle-arm, &c., and the main frame A is secured to it by bolts through the ears or a, and braced by the brace R as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4.

The needle-arm Z is shown in dotted lines in Fig. l in the position it occupies when it has laced the cord across the knotting-hook, rea y for tying the knot, and a section of it is also shown in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3.

, Z is one of the ejector-arms, fixed to the tyer-wheel O, as usual.

The operation of tying the knotis performed as follows, viz: The parts being in position, as shown by full lines in the drawings, the end of the binding-cord being held in the'cordholder'and the cord passing over the retainingfinger and above the knotting-hook, and 'thence down under the binding-deck to the needle-arm, the grain having been packed upon the cord, the binding mechanism having been started, and the needle-arm having encircled the gavel with the bindingcord and laid the second fold of the cord across the retaining-finger and above the knottinghook, the tyer-whee] O is caused to revolve in direction of the arrow. The knotting hook cam J has allowed the spring f to close the knottinghook jaw H. At the proper moment the incline c of the tyer-wheel cam-track, Fig. 1, engages the roller S on the arm S of the rockshaft S, and the tucker U is moved to the po sition shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4,(marked 2,) and draws the cord tightly across the knotting-hook, which is then rotated in direction of the arrow in Fig. 12, and when the part of the body of the knotting-hook which is cut away, as shown at (1, comes opposite the retaining finger the cord passes through the space then between said body and finger and enough to engage the knife N as it is raised,

is free from the retaining-finger. -In the meantime the incline c of the tyer-wheel cam-track has, through the mechanism already described, drawn upward through a portion of its stroke the sliding bar 0, and the pawl P, engaging the cord-holder disk M, rotates it to the next notch, carrying the cord down to the proper position to be severed. The incline c of the tyer-wheel cam-track now acts upon the frictionroller S and throwsthe tucker-finger back to the position marked 3 in Fig. 4, thus inclosing the cord in the angle of the tucker and preventing it from slipping off the knotting-hook, also drawing the cord more tightly around the gavel, insuring the proper tying of the knot, and enabling the mechanism to bind more tightly than usual. As shown in the drawings, it will be seen that the tuckerfinger has four motionsi. 6., first, counting from the initial position, forward to place the cord upon the knottinghook to the position marked 3; second, backward slightly to the position marked 2, to inclose the cord more closely in the angle of the tucker and retain it more securely upon the knotting-hook as it rotates; third, again forward to the limit of its motion to position marked 4, 'to strip the knot from the knottinghook, and, fourth, backward to its first or initial position. \Vhile these movements have been taking place the usual teeth, 23, on the tyer-wheel have engaged the teeth of the knotting'hook gear E and rotated the k notting-hook a complete revolution, (in direction of the arrow in Fig. 12,) during which the knotting-hook cam J has pressed down the plungerF and opened the k nottinghook by raising the jaw H and grasped the strands of the cord after they have been crossed in the usual manner and closed by the action of the springf as soon as the cord is grasped. Meanwhile the swing-frame cam K has rotated until the depression It therein has arrived at the friction-roller b and allowed the swing-frame B to swing inward toward the knotting-hook, and so furnished slack cord to prevent the rotation of the knotting-hook from breaking that portion of the cord between it and the cord-holder. The incline c of the tyerwheel cam-track,Which throws the tucker-finger back from position 2 to 3, Fig. 4, does not affect the cordholder disk or knife, as the pawl P and pin 0 simply drop down slightly without effect on these parts. The needlearm now drops back to its original position, during which time the incline c of the tyerwheel camtrack operates upon the frictionroller S, again raising the sliding rod 0, and

hook being allowed to rotate freely backward nearly one-fourth of a revolution. \Vhen not acted upon by the teeth I, the knotti ng-hook gear E is prevented from rotating by a raised rim, g, in the form of a cam-track, formed at the edge of the tyerwheel, and which rests against the flattened surface 0, formed on the knotting-hook gear E. This cam-track is cut entirely away opposite the teeth i, so as to allow theknotting-hook to rotate forward when acted upon by the teeth '6. It is again cut away at the point where it is desired to allow the knotting-hook to rotate backward, and having rotated backward to the proper position it is retained in that position by another similar cam-track, It, (formed outside of the camtrack which engages a flattened surface, 6", on the knotting hook gear. The camt'rack h having passed the k nottinghook gear, the iiicline g of the cam-track g engages the flattened surface a on the knotting-hook gearand rotates it forward to its original position, where it rests until another knot is to be formed. At the same time, the bundle being discharged by the ejector-arm Z", the incline e of the tyer wheel cam-track throws the tucker-finger back to its original position, the sliding rod 0 drops down, carrying with it the knife N and pawl P, all the parts being now ready for repeating the operations just described and forming another knot.

Having thus described our invention, its construction, arrangement, and operation, and pointed out wherein it consists of new and useful improvements, and without wishing to be understood as restricting our claims of invention to any precise form or proportion of parts, or to any particular devices not essen tial to the principles of construction and mode of operation herein described, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In the knotting mechanism of a grainbinder, a stationary retaining-finger the point of which rests nearly against the body of the rotary knotting-hook, for the purpose of holding the binding-cord in place as it lies over said finger, in combination with a knottinghook, a portion of the body of which is cut away to allow the cord to pass off from said finger at the proper time for forming the knot, substantially in the manner shown and described.

2. In the knotting mechanism of a grainbinder, a forked tucker-finger pivoted at one side of the breast-plate and adapted to receive the binding-cord, in combination with the breast-plate, one side of which opposes the fork in the finger and co-operates therewith to close the notch and positively control the cord, and suitable mechanism for rotating said finger forward about one-fourth of a revolution to place the cord in position to form the knot, then backward about oneeighth of a revolution to secure the cord in place as the knottinghook rotates and enable the mechanism to bind more tightly, then forward about three-eighths of a revolution to assist in stripping the knot from the knotting-hook, substantially in the manner shown and described.

3. In the knotting mechanism of a grainbinder, the combination of a rotating knottinghook having a portion of the body cut away to allow the cord to pass the retaining-finger, a retaining-finger fixed to the knotter-frame, or some fixed part thereof, and whose point rests nearly or on the body of the rotary k not ti ng-hook, a tucker-finger having a slot formed therein to receive the binding -cord, and a breast-plate provided with a slot of such shape as to receive the bindingcord and prevent its escape from the tucker-finger, substantially in the manner shown and described, and for the purpose of properly forming the knot in the binding-cord.

4. In the knotting mechanism of a grainbinder, in combination with the tucker-finger, cord-holder disk, and cord-severing knife, a transverse rock-shaft having an arm provided with a friction-roller, and arms connected re spectively with the tucker-finger to actuate the same, and with said knife and disk, and an operating-wheel having a lateral cam connected with said rock-shaft by said first arm, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. In the knotting mechanism of a grainbinder, in combination with the cord holder disk, severing-knife, and tucker-finger, a tyerwheel having formed thereon alateral cam track for operating the said parts, and a trans verse rock-shaft connected with and operated by said cam, and connections between said parts and the rockshaft, substantially as set forth. 6. In the knotting mechanism of a grain binder, in combination with the cord-holder track for operating the said parts, and a gearl for operating the knotting-hook, a transverse rockshaft having an arm carrying a frictionroller which engages said cam-track, and connecting mechanism between said rock-shaft and the said disk, knife, and finger, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose of assisting a rotating knotting-hook in tying the knot.'

7. In the knotting mechanism of a grainbinder, a swinging frame carrying the cordholder, and a cord-severing knife pivoted to said swinging frame and operated by the parts which rotate the cord holder disk.

8. In the knotting mechanism of a grain-" binder, the combination of a rotating knottinghook, a swinging frame carrying the cordholder, a pivoted vibrating tucker-finger provided with a slot for receiving the bindingcord, and a cord-severing knife pivoted to said swinging frame, substantially in the manner shown and described, and for the purpose of properly securing the band around the bundle of grain. Y

9. In the knotting mechanism of a grainbinder, a forked tucker-finger pivoted at one side of the breast-plate, the slot of'which finger extends tangentially relative to its pivot, the inner end of the slot being in proximity to the opposing side of the breast-plate, and forming therewith an eye which is adapted to surround the cord and convey the same positively along said opposing side of the breast-plate, in combination with a'knotting-hook situated at said opposing side of the breast-plate, and 7 mechanism for operating the tucker-finger.

WILLIAM N. WHITELEY. SAMUEL DYER.

Witnesses:

OSCAR E. PERRIGO, WILLIAM FI BEVITT. 

